WO2024048573A1 - Method for producing positive electrode active material - Google Patents

Abstract

This method for producing a positive electrode active material comprises the following steps. (1) a step in which an activation agent containing at least one compound that is selected from the group consisting of a potassium compound and a sodium compound is mixed into an electrode mixture which contains a positive electrode active material, a binder and an electrolyte, and from which at least some of the electrolyte is removed by means of a contact with an electrolyte cleaning solvent (2) a step in which the thus-obtained mixture is heated to a retention temperature that is not less than the melting initiation temperature of the activation agent, so that the positive electrode active material contained in the mixture is activated (3) a step in which the mixture after heating is brought into contact with a liquid that contains water, thereby obtaining a slurry that contains a solid component and a liquid component, and subsequently, the slurry is separated into the solid component and the liquid component, wherein the total content of potassium and sodium in the liquid component after the separation is 0.090 to 2.0% by mass, and the total content of potassium and sodium in the solid component after the separation is 1.2% by mass or less

Description

Manufacturing method of positive electrode active material

The present invention relates to a method for producing a positive electrode active material.

The positive electrode active materials of batteries contain rare metal components such as cobalt, nickel, manganese, and lithium. In particular, the positive electrode active materials of non-aqueous electrolyte secondary batteries contain compounds whose main components are the rare metal components mentioned above. is being used. In order to conserve the resources of rare metal components, there is a need for a method of reproducing rare metal components from secondary battery waste materials.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses that an electrode mixture and an activation treatment agent containing an alkali metal compound are mixed, the mixture is heated to decompose the binder, and the decomposed products and the activation treatment agent are removed with water or the like. A method for recovering a positive electrode active material is disclosed. This method is cost-effective in that the positive electrode active material is directly recovered from battery waste material without using organic solvents.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2012-186150

By the way, in order to suitably reuse the recycled positive electrode active material, it is required to suppress the deterioration of the positive electrode active material before and after the recycling process. Deterioration of the positive electrode active material is undesirable because it leads to a decrease in the performance of a battery using the recycled positive electrode active material, such as a decrease in charge/discharge capacity and an increase in internal resistance.

An object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing an active material that can suppress deterioration of the active material.

[1] A method for producing a positive electrode active material including the following steps.
(1) An electrode composite material containing a positive electrode active material, a binder material, and an electrolyte, from which at least a portion of the electrolyte has been removed by contact with an electrolyte cleaning solvent, contains a potassium compound and a sodium compound selected from the group consisting of a potassium compound and a sodium compound. Step (2) of mixing an activating agent containing at least one compound contained in the mixture by heating the resulting mixture to a holding temperature equal to or higher than the melting start temperature of the activating agent. Step (3) of activating the positive electrode active material: Bringing the heated mixture into contact with a liquid containing water to obtain a slurry containing a solid component and a liquid component, and then converting the slurry into a solid component and a liquid component. This is a separation step in which the total content of potassium and sodium in the liquid component after separation is 0.090 to 2.0% by mass, and the total content of potassium and sodium in the solid component after separation is 1.0% by mass. A process in which the amount is 2% by mass or less

[2] The positive electrode active material is a composite oxide containing one or more elements selected from element group 1 below and one or more elements selected from element group 2 below. the method of.
Element group 1: Ni, Co, Mn, Fe, Al, P
Element group 2: Li, Na, K, Ca, Sr, Ba, Mg

[3] The method according to claim [1] or [2], wherein the positive electrode active material is represented by the following formula.
Li _1+a M ² _b M ¹ M ^T _c O _2+d X _e
However, ^M2 represents at least one element selected from the group consisting of Na, K, Ca, Sr, Ba, and Mg,
^M1 represents at least one element selected from the group consisting of Ni, Co, Mn, Fe, Al, and P;
M ^T represents at least one element selected from the group consisting of Ni, Co, Mn, and transition metal elements other than Fe,
X represents at least one element selected from the group consisting of nonmetallic elements excluding O and P,
Satisfies -0.4<a<1.5, 0≦b<0.5, 0≦c<0.5, -0.5<d<1.5, 0≦e<0.5.

[4] In step (3), the heated mixture is brought into contact with a liquid containing water such that the concentration of the solid component relative to the volume of the slurry is 12 to 1000 g/L, [1] to [ 3].

[5] The method according to any one of [1] to [4], wherein in step (3), the contact time between the solid component and the liquid component is 4 minutes or more and less than 24 hours.

[6] The method according to any one of [1] to [5], wherein in step (3), the heated mixture and the water-containing liquid are stirred to obtain the slurry.

[7] The method according to any one of [1] to [6], further comprising the following steps.
(4) A step of obtaining an electrode composite material from which at least a portion of the electrolyte in step (1) has been removed, the electrode composite material containing a positive electrode active material, a binding material, and an electrolyte being washed with an electrolyte cleaning solvent. This is a step in which a slurry containing a solid component and a liquid component is obtained by contacting with a liquid component, and then the slurry is separated into a solid component and a liquid component, and the amount of P in the liquid component after separation is 0.0020 to 2. .0% by mass, the amount of F is 0.01 to 7.0% by mass, and the amount of P remaining in the solid component after separation is 0.7% by mass or less.

[8] The method according to [7], wherein in step (4), the concentration of the solid component relative to the volume of the slurry is 3 to 2000 g/L.

[9] The method according to [7] or [8], wherein in step (4), the contact time between the solid component and the liquid component is 1 minute or more and less than 25 hours.

[10] The method according to any one of [7] to [9], wherein in step (4), the electrode mixture and the electrolyte cleaning solvent are stirred to obtain the slurry.

[11] The method for producing a positive electrode active material according to any one of [1] to [11], further comprising the following steps.
(5) A step of removing water from the solid component obtained in step (3) by exposing it to a heating and/or reduced pressure environment, and separating the slurry into the solid component and the liquid component. Within 24 hours after changing the environmental pressure and/or the temperature of the solid component so that the ratio of the saturated water vapor pressure at the temperature of the solid component to the environmental pressure at which the solid component exists is 80% or more. The process of
(6) A step of heat treating the solid component after the step (5) above at less than 900°C

A positive electrode active material can be produced from an electrode mixture while suppressing deterioration of the positive electrode active material.

(Method for producing positive electrode active material)
Hereinafter, a method for producing a positive electrode active material related to recycling will be explained.

A method for manufacturing a positive electrode active material according to an embodiment of the present invention includes the following steps.
Step (1): An electrode mixture containing a positive electrode active material, a binder, and an electrolyte, from which at least a portion of the electrolyte has been removed by contact with an electrolyte cleaning solvent, is added with a compound selected from the group consisting of a potassium compound and a sodium compound. Step (2) of mixing an activation treatment agent containing at least one selected compound: heating the obtained mixture to a holding temperature equal to or higher than the melting start temperature of the activation treatment agent to mix the mixture. Activating the positive electrode active material contained therein Step (3): The heated mixture is brought into contact with a liquid containing water to obtain a slurry containing a solid component and a liquid component, and then the slurry is converted into a solid The total content of potassium and sodium in the liquid component after separation is 0.090 to 2.0% by mass, and the total content of potassium and sodium in the solid component after separation is A process in which the total content is 1.2% by mass or less

Hereinafter, each step in this embodiment will be explained in detail.

Step (1): Activation treatment agent mixing step In step (1), the electrode composite material and the alkali metal compound are mixed to obtain a mixture.
First, an electrode composite material containing a positive electrode active material, a binding material, and an electrolyte from which at least a portion of the electrolyte has been removed by contact with an electrolyte cleaning solvent is prepared.

<Electrode mixture before contact with electrolyte cleaning solvent>
The electrode composite material before contact includes a positive electrode active material, a binding material, and an electrolyte, and the positive electrode active materials are bound to each other by the binding material. The electrode composite material may further include a conductive material, in which case the positive electrode active material and the conductive material are bound to each other by a binder. The electrolyte is a component derived from the electrolyte of the battery and impregnated into the electrode mixture.

<Cathode active material>
Examples of positive electrode active materials are lithium, oxygen, fluorine, sodium, magnesium, aluminum, silicon, phosphorus, sulfur, potassium, calcium, titanium, vanadium, chromium, manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, zinc, gallium, and yttrium. It is a composite compound whose constituent elements are niobium, molybdenum, silver, indium, tungsten, etc.

Note that the positive electrode active material may be composed of only a single compound, or may be composed of a plurality of compounds.

An example of a suitable positive electrode active material is a composite oxide containing one or more elements selected from element group 1 below and one or more elements selected from element group 2 below.
Element group 1: Ni, Co, Mn, Fe, Al, P
Element group 2: Li, Na, K, Ca, Sr, Ba, Mg

Among these, the positive electrode active material is preferably represented by the following chemical formula (Formula A).

Li _1+a M ² _b M ¹ M ^T _c O _2+d X _e
However, ^M2 represents at least one element selected from the group consisting of Na, K, Ca, Sr, Ba, and Mg,
^M1 represents at least one element selected from the group consisting of Ni, Co, Mn, Fe, Al, and P;
M ^T represents at least one element selected from the group consisting of Ni, Co, Mn, and transition metal elements other than Fe,
X represents at least one element selected from the group consisting of nonmetallic elements excluding O and P,
Satisfies -0.4<a<1.5, 0≦b<0.5, 0≦c<0.5, -0.5<d<1.5, 0≦e<0.5.

^MT is Cu, Ti, Mg, Al, W, Mo, Nb, Zn, Sn, Zr, Ga, V, B, Si, Ca, Sr, Ba, Ge, Cr, Sc, Y, La, Ta, Preferably, it is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Tc, Ru, Rh, Pd, Ag, Cd, and In. Examples of X are F, S, Cl, Br, I, Se, Te, N.

The positive electrode active material is preferably a composite oxide containing at least Li and Ni.

Further, in the positive electrode active material, the mole fraction of Ni in M ¹ is more preferably 0.3 to 0.95.

The crystal structure of the composite oxide as an active material is not particularly limited, but a layered structure is preferable, and a hexagonal or monoclinic crystal structure is more preferable.

The hexagonal crystal structure is P3, P3 ₁ , P3 ₂ , R3, P-3, R-3, P312, P321, P3 ₁ 12, P3 ₁ 21, P3 ₂ 12, P3 ₂ 21, R32, P3m1, P31m, P3c1, P31c, R3m, R3c, P-31m, P-31c, P-3m1, P-3c1, R-3m, R-3c, P6, P6 ₁ , P6 ₅ , P6 ₂ , P6 ₄ , P6 ₃ , P-6, P6/m, P6 ₃ /m, P622, P6 ₁ 22, P6 ₅ 22, P6 ₂ 22, P6 ₄ 22, P6 ₃ 22, P6 mm, P6 cc, P6 ₃ cm, P6 ₃ mc, P- It belongs to any one space group selected from the group consisting of 6m2, P-6c2, P-62m, P-62c, P6/mmm, P6/mcc, P6 ₃ /mcm, and P6 ₃ /mmc.

The crystal structure of the monoclinic type is from P2, P2 ₁ , C2, Pm, Pc, Cm, Cc, P2/m, P2 ₁ /m, C2/m, P2/c, P2 ₁ /c and C2/c. belongs to any one space group selected from the group .

Furthermore, it is preferable to belong to the space group R-3m included in a hexagonal crystal structure or C2/m included in a monoclinic crystal structure.

Note that the crystal structure of the positive electrode active material is identified from a powder X-ray diffraction pattern obtained by powder X-ray diffraction measurement using CuKα radiation as a radiation source.

There is no particular restriction on the particle size of the positive electrode active material in the electrode mixture, but it is usually about 0.001 to 100 μm. Note that the particle size distribution of the positive electrode active material can be measured using a laser diffraction scattering particle size distribution measuring device (for example, Mastersizer 2000 manufactured by Malvern). From the obtained particle size distribution, a volume-based cumulative particle size distribution curve can be created, and the value of the particle size (D50) at 50% accumulation from the fine particle side can be taken as the average particle size of the powder. Further, the particle size of the primary particles of the positive electrode active material can be measured as the arithmetic mean of equivalent circle diameters in an electron micrograph.

<Conductive material>
Examples of the conductive material are a metal-based conductive material such as metal particles, and a carbon-based conductive material made of a carbon material.

Examples of carbon-based conductive materials are specifically graphite powder, carbon black (eg, acetylene black), and fibrous carbon materials (eg, graphitized carbon fibers, carbon nanotubes).

The carbon-based conductive material may be a single carbon material or may be composed of multiple carbon materials.

Further, the specific surface area of the carbon material used as the carbon-based conductive material can generally be 0.1 to 500 m ² /g.

In that case, the conductive material may consist only of carbon-based conductive material with an area of 30 m ² /g or more, carbon black with an area of 30 m ² /g or more, or acetylene black with an area of 30 m ² /g or more. .

In addition, when using an activation treatment agent containing an alkali metal compound with oxidizing power, which will be described later, the speed of oxidation treatment of the carbon-based conductive material can be increased, and even carbon materials with a small specific surface area can be oxidized. may be possible.

<Binder>
Examples of the binding material (binding material before activation treatment) included in the electrode composite material are thermoplastic resins, and specifically, polyvinylidene fluoride (hereinafter sometimes referred to as PVdF), polytetrafluorocarbon Ethylene (hereinafter sometimes referred to as PTFE), tetrafluoroethylene/propylene hexafluoride/vinylidene fluoride copolymer, propylene hexafluoride/vinylidene fluoride copolymer, and tetrafluoroethylene/perfluoride Examples include fluororesins such as vinyl ether copolymers; polyolefin resins such as polyethylene and polypropylene; and styrene-butadiene copolymers (hereinafter sometimes referred to as SBR); mixtures of two or more of these may also be used. .

There are no particular limitations on the amounts of the positive electrode active material, conductive material, and binder in the electrode mixture. The blending amount of the binder may be 0.5 to 30 parts by weight, and may be 1 to 5 parts by weight, based on 100 parts by weight of the positive electrode active material. The amount of the conductive material may be 0, but may be 0 to 50 parts by weight, or 1 to 10 parts by weight, based on 100 parts by weight of the positive electrode active material.

<Electrolyte>
Examples of electrolytes are _{LiPF6 , LiBF4} , _LiClO4 , LiN( _SO2CF3 ) ₂ , LiN( _SO2F ) ₂ , _{LiCF3SO3 .} There is no limit to the amount of electrolyte contained in the electrode mixture, but it can be from 0.0005 to 7% by mass.

The electrode mixture may contain a solvent derived from the electrolyte. Examples of solvents are dimethyl carbonate, diethyl carbonate, ethylmethyl carbonate.

Such an electrode mixture can be obtained by separating and recovering the electrode mixture from a waste electrode having a current collector and an electrode mixture layer.

"Waste electrodes" can be electrodes recovered from discarded batteries and electrode waste generated during the manufacturing process of electrodes and batteries. The discarded battery may be a used battery or an unused but substandard battery. In addition, the electrode waste may be electrode ends generated during the battery manufacturing process and non-standard electrodes. Further, it is also possible to use a waste product of the electrode composite material that is not attached to the current collector and is generated in the electrode composite material manufacturing process.

The electrode has a current collector that is a metal foil such as aluminum foil or copper foil, and an electrode mixture layer provided on the current collector. The electrode mixture layer may be provided on one side or both sides of the current collector.

A method for separating an electrode having an electrode mixture layer and a current collector from the electrode mixture is to mechanically peel off the electrode mixture layer from the current collector (for example, by scraping the electrode mixture from the current collector). Method of peeling off the electrode composite material layer from the current collector by infiltrating the interface between the electrode composite material layer and the current collector; Method of peeling the electrode composite material layer from the current collector by infiltrating the interface between the electrode composite material layer and the current collector; A method of dissolving the current collector using an alkaline or acidic aqueous solution. There are methods such as separating the electrode mixture layer. Preferably, the method involves mechanically peeling off the electrode mixture layer from the current collector.

(Cleaning of electrode mixture)
Subsequently, the prepared electrode mixture is brought into contact with an electrolyte cleaning solvent to remove at least a portion of the electrolyte from the electrode mixture. Specifically, an electrode mixture containing a positive electrode active material, a binder, and an electrolyte is brought into contact with an electrolyte cleaning solvent to obtain a slurry containing a solid component and a liquid component, and then the slurry is mixed with a solid component. Separates into liquid component.

Solid-liquid separation is a process of separating slurry into a liquid component and a solid component. The solid-liquid separation method may be any conventionally known method, such as filtration or centrifugation.

There are no particular limitations on the electrolyte cleaning solvent. For example, carbonate esters such as ethylene carbonate, dimethyl carbonate, ethyl methyl carbonate, diethyl carbonate, and propylene carbonate; water; ketones such as acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, diethyl ketone, and methyl isobutyl ketone; ethanol, methanol, propanol, isopropyl alcohol, etc. Examples include alcohols.

The electrolyte cleaning solvent can be brought into contact with the electrode mixture using a known powder-liquid contact device, such as a stirring tank.

In the step of bringing the electrode mixture into contact with the electrolyte cleaning solvent, it is preferable that the slurry concentration, that is, the concentration of the solid component relative to the volume of the slurry, is 3 to 2000 g/L.

In the step of bringing the electrode mixture into contact with the electrolyte cleaning solvent, it is preferable to stir the electrode mixture and the electrolyte cleaning solvent to obtain a slurry. The peripheral speed of the tip of the stirring blade can be 0.1 to 1.0 m/s.

There is no particular limitation on the contact method, but it is preferable to carry out the following step (4).

Step (4): Cleaning of electrolyte-containing electrode mixture A step of obtaining an electrode mixture from which at least a portion of the electrolyte in step (1) has been removed, which includes a positive electrode active material, a binder, and an electrolyte. This is a process in which the electrode mixture is brought into contact with an electrolyte cleaning solvent to obtain a slurry containing a solid component and a liquid component, and then the slurry is separated into a solid component and a liquid component. The amount of P is 0.0020 to 2.0% by mass, the amount of F is 0.01 to 7.0% by mass, and the amount of P remaining in the solid component after separation is 0.7% by mass or less. .

In the step of cleaning the electrode composite material, after solid-liquid separation, the obtained solid component may be rinsed. Rinsing is an operation in which the obtained solid component is brought into contact with an electrolyte cleaning solvent again to obtain a slurry, and then the slurry is again separated into a solid component and a liquid component. In cleaning the electrode mixture, rinsing may be performed multiple times. The slurry concentration in rinsing can also be the same as above. Also during rinsing, the slurry can be stirred as described above.

In the step of cleaning the electrode mixture, it is also preferable that the contact time between the solid component and the liquid component is 1 minute or more and less than 25 hours. The contact time between the solid component and the liquid component in the step of cleaning the electrode composite material is the time during which the electrode composite material and the electrolyte cleaning solvent are in contact with each other. For example, when rinsing is not performed, the contact time between the solid component and the liquid component is such that the electrode mixture (solid component) containing the electrolyte starts contacting with the electrolyte cleaning solvent, and then the slurry is mixed with the solid component and the liquid component. This is the time A required to complete the operation of solid-liquid separation into liquid components. When rinsing is performed, the contact time between the solid component and the liquid component is the above-mentioned time A, and in each rinsing process, the contact time between the solid component after separation and the electrolyte cleaning solvent is started, and then the solid component is This is the sum of the time B required to complete solid-liquid separation between the components and the liquid component. When solid-liquid separation is performed by filtration, the completion time of solid-liquid separation is the end time of filtration.

In the above step (4), the amount of P in the liquid component after solid-liquid separation is 0.0020 to 2.0% by mass, the amount of F is 0.01 to 7.0% by mass, and The amount of P remaining in the subsequent solid component is 0.7% by mass or less.

When the amount of P and the amount of F in the liquid component after solid-liquid separation and the amount of P in the solid component after solid-liquid separation are not too high, the electrolyte can be sufficiently removed from the electrode mixture. For example, if the electrolyte remains, the following reaction occurs, and the structure of the positive electrode active material changes from a layered rock salt structure to a spinel structure.
LiPF ₆ +16LiMO ₂ +2O ₂ →6LiF+Li ₃ PO ₄ +8LiM ₂ O ₄
Furthermore, when lithium carbonate is included as an activator, lithium is also consumed by the following reaction.
LiPF ₆ +4Li ₂ CO ₃ →6LiF+Li ₃ PO ₄ +4CO ₂
On the other hand, since the amount of P and the amount of F in the liquid component after solid-liquid separation are not too low, deterioration of the positive electrode active material due to excessive washing is suppressed.

In addition, when performing one or more rinsing steps, all the liquid components obtained in the first solid-liquid separation and the liquid components obtained in the subsequent solid-liquid separation in one or more rinses are The contents of P and F in the total mixed liquid components satisfy 0.0020 to 2.0% by mass and 0.01 to 7.0% by mass, respectively. When performing one or more rinsing steps, the P content in the solid component obtained in the final solid-liquid separation satisfies 0.7% by mass or less. Furthermore, when the cleaning is performed continuously, the contents of P and F in the liquid components continuously discharged from the apparatus may fall within the above range.

In addition, in both cases where rinsing is not performed and when rinsing is performed once or multiple times, the P content in the liquid component obtained in the final solid-liquid separation is 2. It is preferable that the content of F is 0% by mass or less, and the content of F is 7.0% by mass or less, the content of P is 0.0020% by mass or more, and the content of F is 0.01% by mass or more. It is also preferable that there be. In addition, when cleaning is performed continuously, the amount of P and the amount of F relative to the liquid components discharged from the device are in the range of 0.0020 to 2.0 mass% and 0.01 to 7.0 mass%, respectively. All you have to do is enter.

It may be 0.0001% by mass or more of the amount of P remaining in the solid component after solid-liquid separation. The amount of F remaining in the solid component after solid-liquid separation can be 3.5% by mass or less, and may be 0.0001% by mass or more.

The electrolyte cleaning solvent of the separated solid component can be dried by reducing pressure and/or heating, if necessary. The heating temperature can be 50 to 200°C.

(Mixing the electrode mixture from which at least a portion of the electrolyte has been removed and the activation treatment agent)
Next, an activation treatment agent containing at least one compound selected from the group consisting of potassium compounds and sodium compounds is mixed into the prepared electrode mixture after the electrolyte has been removed to obtain a mixture.

The mixing method of the electrode mixture and the activation treatment agent may be either dry mixing or wet mixing, or a combination of these mixing methods, and the mixing order is not particularly limited.

During mixing, it is preferable to use a mixing device equipped with mixing media such as balls to perform a pulverizing and mixing step, which can improve mixing efficiency.

As for the mixing method, dry mixing is preferable because mixing can be performed more easily. In the dry mixing, a V-type mixer, a W-type mixer, a ribbon mixer, a drum mixer, a powder mixer equipped with an internal stirring blade, a ball mill, a vibration mill, or a combination of these devices can be used.

As the mixing device used for dry mixing, a powder mixer equipped with an internal stirring blade is preferable, and a specific example is a Loedige mixer (manufactured by Matsubo Co., Ltd.).

Hereinafter, the activation treatment agent used in this step will be explained in detail.

<Activation treatment agent>
The activation treatment agent contains at least one compound selected from the group consisting of potassium compounds and sodium compounds. Here, potassium and/or sodium may be referred to as alkali metal element X. The activation treatment agent may contain, in addition to the potassium compound and/or the sodium compound, an alkali metal compound containing another alkali metal such as Li.

When the activation treatment agent comes into contact with the positive electrode active material, the positive electrode active material can be activated. In particular, when the alkali metal compound in the activation treatment agent includes a molten portion, the contact between the molten portion and the positive electrode active material is improved, thereby further promoting activation of the positive electrode active material.

In addition, the electrode mixture may contain a fluorine-containing compound derived from the binder and/or electrolyte, but by bringing the fluorine-containing compound into contact with the activation treatment agent, the fluorine component can be removed. Since it is stabilized as an alkali metal fluoride, generation of corrosive gases such as hydrogen fluoride can be suppressed. Note that it is desirable to prevent the generation of hydrogen fluoride because it reduces the activity of the positive electrode active material.

The proportion of the total alkali metal compound in the activation treatment agent is set appropriately taking into account the type of alkali metal compound and the type of target positive electrode active material. , 50% by weight or more, preferably 70% by weight or more (including 100% by weight).
The concentration of at least one alkali metal selected from the group consisting of potassium and sodium among the alkali metals contained in the alkali metal compound can be arbitrarily adjusted from 0 to 100 mol%, but preferably 10 mol% or more, More preferably, it is 20 mol% or more, preferably 90 mol% or less, and even more preferably 80 mol% or less.

Alkali metal compounds that are components of the activation treatment agent include hydroxides, borates, carbonates, oxides, peroxides, superoxides, nitrates, phosphates, sulfates, and chlorides of alkali metals. vanadate, bromate, molybdate, and tungstate. These can be used alone or in combination as a component of the activation treatment agent.

Specific examples of suitable alkali metal compounds include hydroxides such as LiOH, NaOH, KOH, RbOH, and CsOH;
Boric oxides such as _LiBO2 , _NaBO2 , _KBO2 , _RbBO2 , _CsBO2 ;
Carbonates such _{as Li2CO3} , _Na2CO3 , _{K2CO3 , RbCO3 , CsCO3} ;
Oxides such as Li ₂ O, Na ₂ O, K ₂ O, Rb ₂ O, Cs ₂ O;
Peroxides such _{as Li2O2 , Na2O2 , K2O2 , Rb2O2 , Cs2O2} ;
Superoxides such as _LiO2 , _NaO2 , _KO2 , _RbO2 , _CsO2 ;
Nitrates such as _LiNO3 , _NaNO3 , _KNO3 , _RbNO3 , _CsNO3 ;
Phosphates such as Li ₃ PO ₄ , Na ₃ PO ₄ , K ₃ PO ₄ , Rb ₃ PO ₄ , Cs ₃ PO ₄ ;
Sulfates such as Li ₂ SO ₄ , Na ₂ SO ₄ , K ₂ SO ₄ , Rb ₂ SO ₄ , Cs ₂ SO ₄ ;
Chlorides such as LiCl, NaCl, KCl, RbCl, CsCl;
Bromides such as LiBr, NaBr, KBr, RbBr, CsBr;
Vanadates such as _LiVO3 , _NaVO3 , _KVO3 , _RbVO3 , _CsVO3 ;
Molybdates _{such as Li2MoO4} , _{Na2MoO4 , K2MoO4 , Rb2MoO4} , _CsMoO4 ;
Examples include tungstates such as Li ₂ WO ₄ , Na ₂ WO ₄ , K ₂ WO ₄ , Rb ₂ WO ₄ and CsWO ₄ .

Here, in order to further enhance the activation effect of the positive electrode active material, the activation treatment agent is added to the positive electrode active material in the electrode mixture in addition to at least one compound selected from the group consisting of potassium compounds and sodium compounds. The same alkali metal element as the alkali metal element contained can be contained.

That is, when the positive electrode active material in the electrode mixture is a lithium composite oxide, the activation treatment agent contains a lithium compound in addition to at least one compound selected from the group consisting of potassium compounds and sodium compounds. It is preferable that Suitable lithium compounds include LiOH, _LiBO2 , _Li2CO3 , _Li2O , _Li2O2 , _{LiO2 , LiNO3} , _{Li3PO4 , Li2SO4} , _LiCl , _{LiVO3 ,} LiBr, Li _{Examples include 2MoO4 and Li2WO4 .}

The activation treatment agent may contain compounds other than the alkali metal compound as necessary. Examples of compounds other than alkali metal compounds include alkaline earth metal compounds containing alkaline earth metal elements such as magnesium, calcium, and barium. The alkaline earth metal compound is contained in the activation treatment agent together with the alkali metal compound for the purpose of controlling the melting start temperature of the activation treatment agent.

In addition, the content of compounds other than the alkali metal compound in the activation treatment agent is selected within a range that does not significantly inhibit the effects derived from the above-mentioned molten alkali metal compound, and is less than 50% by weight of the total weight of the activation treatment agent. can be.

The amount of the activation treatment agent added in the mixture of the electrode mixture and the activation treatment agent is preferably 0.001 to 100 times, more preferably 0.001 to 100 times the weight of the positive electrode active material contained in the electrode mixture. , 0.05 to 1 times.

The number of moles of the alkali metal compound in the activation treatment agent in the mixture of the electrode mixture and the activation treatment agent is 1 when the number of moles of the positive electrode active material (for example, formula A) contained in the electrode mixture is 1. It can be added so that the number of moles of the element becomes 0.001 to 200 times as much.

By appropriately controlling the ratio of the activation treatment agent in the mixture, it is possible to reduce the cost of recovering the positive electrode active material from the electrode mixture, and to increase the rate of oxidative decomposition of the carbon-based conductive material and binder. can be increased. Further, the effect of preventing the generation of corrosive gas during the heating process can be improved, and furthermore, the discharge capacity of a battery manufactured using the obtained positive electrode active material can be further increased.

Furthermore, it is preferable that at least one kind of alkali metal compound contained in the activation treatment agent is an alkali metal compound that exhibits alkalinity when dissolved in water. When an activation treatment agent containing such an alkali metal compound is dissolved in pure water, the pH of the solution becomes higher than 7. Hereinafter, such an activation treatment agent may be referred to as an "alkaline activation treatment agent."

By using an alkaline activation treatment agent, it is possible to further suppress the generation of corrosive gas during the heating process, thereby further increasing the discharge capacity of batteries manufactured using the recovered positive electrode active material. can. Further, by using an alkaline activation treatment agent, the processing speed of the carbon-based conductive material and the binder can be increased.

Alkali metal compounds that exhibit alkalinity when dissolved in water contained in alkaline activation treatment agents include alkali metal hydroxides, carbonates, hydrogen carbonates, oxides, peroxides, and superoxides. Can be mentioned. Specifically, LiOH, NaOH, _KOH , RbOH, CsOH; _Li2CO3 , _{Na2CO3 , K2CO3 , RbCO3} , _CsCO3 ; LiHCO3 _{, NaHCO3} , _KHCO3 , _RbHCO3 , _CsHCO3 ; _Li2O , _{Na2O , K2O} , Rb2O _, Cs2O _{; Li2O2, Na2O2 , K2O2 , Rb2O2 , Cs2O2 ;} LiO2 _, NaO ₂ , _KO2 , _RbO2 , _CsO2 ; One or more of these may be included in the activation treatment agent.

In addition, when the conductive material contained in the electrode mixture is a carbon-based conductive material, at least one kind of alkali metal compound contained in the activation treatment agent may cause the carbon-based conductive material to react at the temperature of the heating process. It may also be an alkali metal compound having oxidizing power for oxidative decomposition. Note that an activation treatment agent containing such an alkali metal compound may be hereinafter referred to as an "activation treatment agent having oxidizing power."

When an activation treatment agent having such oxidizing power is used, it can promote the oxidation of the conductive material, which is a carbon material, to carbon dioxide, and the oxidation of the binding material, which is a hydrocarbon material, to carbon dioxide and water vapor. It is particularly effective in improving the discharge capacity of batteries manufactured using the obtained positive electrode active material, and may also be able to improve the effect of preventing the generation of corrosive gas during the heating process. be.

Examples of alkali metal compounds having the oxidizing power necessary to oxidize carbon-based conductive materials and hydrocarbons into carbon dioxide and water vapor include alkali metal peroxides, superoxides, nitrates, sulfates, vanadates, Mention may be made of molybdates. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

Specifically _{, Li2O2 , Na2O2 , K2O2} , _Rb2O2 , _Cs2O2 ; LiO2 _{, NaO2 , KO2} , _RbO2 , _CsO2 ; _{LiNO3 , NaNO3} , _KNO3 , _RbNO3 , _CsNO3 ; _{Li2SO4 , Na2SO4} , _{K2SO4 , Rb2SO4} , _Cs2SO4 ; LiVO3 _{, NaVO3 , KVO3 , RbVO3} , _{CsVO3 ;} Examples include Li ₂ MoO ₄ , Na ₂ MoO ₄ , K ₂ MoO ₄ , Rb ₂ MoO ₄ and CsMoO ₄ .

Details of the oxidizing power of these alkali metal compounds are described in JP-A-2012-186150.

Step (2): Heating step The heating step is to heat the mixture obtained in step (1) (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "mixture before heating") to a temperature higher than the melting start temperature of the activation treatment agent. This is the process of heating to . The mixture obtained in this heating step may be referred to as a "mixture after heating."

Note that the "melting start temperature (Tmp) of the activation treatment agent" means the lowest temperature at which a part of the activation treatment agent exhibits a liquid phase.

The melting start temperature (Tmp) of the activation treatment agent is a value determined by differential thermal measurement (DTA). That is, 5 mg of the mixture before heating is subjected to differential thermal measurement (DTA, measurement conditions: heating rate: 10° C./min), and the temperature at which the DTA signal shows an endothermic peak is defined as the melting start temperature (Tmp).

The melting start temperature (Tmp) of the activation treatment agent is preferably 700°C or lower, more preferably 600°C or lower. Although there is no lower limit to the melting start temperature (Tmp) of the activation treatment agent, it may be, for example, 150°C.

Furthermore, the melting point of the activation treatment agent means the lowest temperature at which a part of the activation treatment agent exhibits a liquid phase when only the activation treatment agent is heated. By mixing the electrode mixture and the activation treatment agent, the melting start temperature (Tmp) of the activation treatment agent becomes lower than the melting point of the activation treatment agent.

The melting point of the activation treatment agent is a value determined by differential thermal analysis (DTA). Specifically, 5 mg of the activation treatment agent was subjected to differential thermal measurement (DTA, measurement conditions: heating rate: 10°C/min), and the temperature at which the DTA signal shows the endothermic peak was determined as the melting point of the activation treatment agent. do.

The atmosphere for heating is not particularly limited, and may be an oxygen-containing gas such as air, nitrogen, argon, or carbon dioxide. The pressure of the atmosphere is not particularly limited, and may be atmospheric pressure, but may also be a reduced pressure atmosphere or a pressurized atmosphere.

In step (2), the following effects occur by heating the mixture before heating to a temperature equal to or higher than the melting start temperature (Tmp) of the activation treatment agent as described above.

By contacting the activation treatment agent in a molten state with the positive electrode active material, deterioration of the crystal structure of the positive electrode active material can be suppressed. In some cases, it is also possible to obtain a crystal structure repair effect.

When the molten activation treatment agent comes into contact with the carbon-based conductive material and the binder, the rate of oxidative decomposition of the conductive material and the binder increases, and furthermore, the molten activation treatment agent contacts the binder and the binder. By contacting the fluorine compound derived from the electrolyte, the fluorine component is stabilized as an alkali metal fluoride, preventing the generation of hydrogen fluoride, a corrosive gas, and suppressing deterioration of the crystal structure of the positive electrode active material. Ru.

Furthermore, when the activation treatment agent contains the same alkali metal as the positive electrode active material, it is also possible to supply the insufficient alkali metal to the positive electrode active material.

The temperature of the heating process and the holding time at that temperature depend on the types of alkali metal compounds and other compounds contained in the positive electrode active material, conductive material, binding material, and activation treatment agent that make up the electrode mixture. It can be adjusted as appropriate depending on the combination. Usually, the temperature is in the range of 100 to 1500°C, and the holding time is about 10 minutes to 24 hours.

The temperature of the heating step is preferably higher than the melting point of the alkali metal compound contained in the activation treatment agent. Note that the melting point of the alkali metal compound may be lower than the melting point of each compound alone by mixing multiple types of compounds. When the activation treatment agent contains two or more types of alkali metal compounds, the eutectic point is the melting point of the alkali metal compounds.

After the heating step, the mixture can be cooled to an arbitrary temperature, such as room temperature, if necessary.

Step (3): Solid-liquid separation step (alkali metal removal)
Step (3) is a step of contacting the heated mixture with a liquid containing water to obtain a slurry containing a solid component and a liquid component, and then separating the slurry into a solid component and a liquid component. A step in which the total content of potassium and sodium in the liquid component after separation is 0.090 to 2.0% by mass, and the total content of potassium and sodium in the solid component after separation is 1.2% by mass or less

The mixture after heating contains, in addition to the positive electrode active material, components derived from the activation treatment agent (alkali metal compounds, etc.), undecomposed conductive materials and binding materials, and other undecomposed electrode composite materials. . Furthermore, when the electrode mixture contains an electrolytic solution containing a fluorine component, it may contain a fluorine component derived from the electrolyte.

In order to separate and recover the positive electrode active material from the heated mixture, a water-containing liquid (liquid) is added to the mixture to form a slurry, followed by solid-liquid separation to separate it into a solid component and a liquid component.

The liquid used in the slurry forming process is not particularly limited as long as it contains water. The amount of water in the liquid may be 50% by weight or more. In order to increase the solubility of water-soluble components or increase the processing speed, components other than water may be added to the liquid to adjust the pH.
Preferred examples of liquids containing water include pure water and alkaline cleaning liquid. As the alkaline cleaning liquid, for example, an aqueous solution of one or more anhydrides and hydrates thereof selected from the group consisting of lithium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, lithium carbonate, sodium carbonate, potassium carbonate, and ammonium carbonate. can be mentioned. Ammonia can also be used as the alkali.

The resulting slurry contains a solid component mainly containing the positive electrode active material and a liquid component containing water-soluble components other than the positive electrode active material. Note that the liquid component includes an alkali metal component derived from the activation treatment agent and/or a fluorine component derived from the binder and the electrolyte.

The amount of liquid added to the mixture is appropriately determined in consideration of the respective amounts of the positive electrode active material and water-soluble components other than the positive electrode active material contained in the mixture.

In step (3), it is preferable to bring the heated mixture into contact with a liquid containing water such that the slurry concentration, that is, the concentration of solid components relative to the volume of the slurry, is 12 to 1000 g/L.

In step (3), it is preferable to stir the heated mixture and a liquid containing water to obtain a slurry. This promotes dissolution of water-soluble components. The peripheral speed of the tip of the stirring blade is preferably 0.1 to 0.9 m/s.

The slurry formed in the slurrying step is then subjected to solid-liquid separation. Solid-liquid separation is a process of separating a slurry into a liquid component and a solid component. The solid-liquid separation method may be any conventionally known method, such as filtration or centrifugation.

In step (3), after solid-liquid separation, the obtained solid component may be rinsed. Rinsing is an operation in which the obtained solid component is brought into contact with a water-containing liquid again to obtain a slurry, and then the slurry is again separated into a solid component and a liquid component. In step (3), rinsing may be performed multiple times. The slurry concentration in rinsing can also be the same as above. The rinse magnification can be 1-80. The rinsing ratio is the ratio of the weight of the added water-containing liquid to the weight of the solid component. Also during rinsing, the slurry can be stirred as described above.

In step (3), the contact time between the solid component and the liquid component is preferably 4 minutes or more and less than 24 hours. The contact time between the solid component and the liquid component in step (3) is the time during which the positive electrode active material and the water-containing liquid are in contact. For example, if rinsing is not performed, the contact time between the solid component and the liquid component is determined by starting the contact between the solid component, such as a heated mixture, and the liquid containing water, and then adding the slurry to the solid component and the liquid component. This is the time C required to complete the operation of separating solid and liquid components. When rinsing is performed, the contact time between the solid component and the liquid component is the above-mentioned time C, and in each rinsing step, after the separation of the solid component and the liquid containing water starts contacting, This is the sum of the time D required to complete solid-liquid separation between the solid component and the liquid component. When solid-liquid separation is performed by filtration, the completion time of solid-liquid separation is the end time of filtration.

In this embodiment, the total content of potassium and sodium in the liquid component obtained by solid-liquid separation is 0.090 to 2.0% by mass, and the potassium and sodium content in the solid component obtained by solid-liquid separation is 0.090 to 2.0% by mass. The total content of is 1.2% by mass or less.
Since the total content of potassium and sodium in the liquid component after solid-liquid separation and the total content of potassium and sodium in the solid component are not too high, alkali metal components from the electrode mixture can be sufficiently removed. . On the other hand, since the total content of potassium and sodium in the liquid component is not too low, deterioration of the positive electrode active material due to excessive washing is suppressed.

In addition, when performing one or more rinsing steps, all the liquid components obtained in the first solid-liquid separation and the liquid components obtained in the subsequent one or more rinsing solid-liquid separations are The total content of potassium and sodium in the total mixed liquid components satisfies 0.090 to 2.0% by mass. When performing one or more rinsing steps, the total content of potassium and sodium in the solid component obtained in the final solid-liquid separation satisfies 1.2% by mass or less. Further, when the cleaning is carried out continuously, the total content of potassium and sodium in the liquid component continuously discharged from the apparatus may be in the range of 0.090 to 2.0% by mass. In addition, in both cases where rinsing is not performed and when rinsing is performed once or multiple times, the total content of potassium and sodium in the liquid component obtained in the final solid-liquid separation when cleaning the electrode composite material. is preferably 0.090 to 2.0% by mass.

The lower limit of the total content of potassium and sodium in the separated solid component may be 0.001% by mass.

An embodiment of the present invention may include the following step (5) and/or step (6).

Step (5): Drying Step Step (5) is a step of exposing the solid component obtained in step (3) to a heating and/or reduced pressure environment to remove water from the solid component. Here, within 24 hours after separating the slurry into a solid component and a liquid component, the ratio of the saturated water vapor pressure at the temperature of the solid component to the environmental pressure where the solid component is present is 80% or more. It is preferred to vary the ambient pressure and/or the temperature of the solid components.
When the ratio of the saturated water vapor pressure at the temperature of the solid component to the ambient pressure at which the solid component exists is 80% or more, water is sufficiently removed from the solid component.

Thus, by achieving these conditions within 24 hours after separating the slurry into liquid and solid components, the time that the solid components are exposed to the humid environment is shortened, thereby increasing the positive electrode activity. Deterioration of substances can be suppressed.

Specifically, for example, the following reactions can proceed in a humid environment.

_2LiMO2 + _H2O →2LiOH _{+ M2O3}
Furthermore, the following reactions can also proceed in a humid environment containing carbon dioxide, such as in the air.

2LiMO ₂ +CO ₂ →Li ₂ CO ₃ +M ₂ O ₃

Specifically, conditions may be reached where water is sufficiently removed from the solid component only by reduced pressure, conditions may be reached where water is sufficiently removed from the solid component only by heating, and conditions may be reached where water is sufficiently removed from the solid component by heating and reduced pressure. Conditions may be reached that sufficiently remove water from the components.

The time required for the ratio of the saturated water vapor pressure at the temperature of the solid component to the ambient pressure where the solid component exists to reach 80% or more is measured by monitoring the environmental pressure where the solid component exists and the temperature of the solid component. can. Specifically, for example, sensors such as a pressure gauge and a hygrometer provided in the dryer may be used.

The heating temperature is preferably 100°C or higher in order to remove water. Furthermore, in order to sufficiently remove water, the temperature is preferably 150°C or higher. In particular, a temperature of 250° C. or higher is preferable because the discharge capacity of a battery manufactured using the obtained positive electrode active material further increases. The temperature in the drying step may be constant or may be changed stepwise or continuously. The temperature range reached by heating can be, for example, 10°C or more and less than 900°C.

The ultimate pressure range of the reduced pressure can be, for example, 1.0×10 ⁻¹⁰ to 1.0×10 ³ Pa.

Step (6): Annealing (re-firing) step Step (6) is preferably a step of heat-treating the solid component after step (5) at less than 900°C.

There is no limitation on the atmosphere for heat treatment, but it is preferably in an oxygen-containing atmosphere such as air. Further, the temperature of the heat treatment can be 100° C. or higher. Further, the holding time of the heat treatment can be from 1 minute to 24 hours. In particular, it is preferable to heat at a holding temperature of 350° C. or higher for 0.1 hour or more and 5 hours or less.

A positive electrode active material obtained from a battery composite material by using the method for producing a positive electrode active material of the present invention can be reused in the same way as an unused active material. Methods of manufacturing electrodes and batteries using positive electrode active materials are well known.

The finally obtained discharge capacity of the positive electrode active material according to the embodiment of the present invention can be 150 mAh/g or more.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained in more detail with reference to Examples, but the present invention is not limited to the following Examples unless the gist thereof is changed.

Measurement of the physical properties of the positive electrode active material and a charge/discharge test using the battery used as the positive electrode active material were performed as follows.

(1) Content of elements The alkali contained in the solution and the powder was measured using an ICP emission spectrometer (for example, SPS3000 manufactured by SII Nanotechnology Co., Ltd.) for the acid solution in which the solution and the powder were dissolved. The content of metal elements was analyzed.

(2) Charge/discharge test 1. Manufacture of Electrode (Positive Electrode) In order to measure the discharge capacity of the positive electrode active material, an electrode (positive electrode) was manufactured according to the following procedure.

Each positive electrode active material, a binder (PVdF#1100 (manufactured by Kureha Corporation)), and a conductive material (acetylene black (manufactured by Denki Kagaku Kogyo Co., Ltd., product number: Denka Black HS100)) The binder and conductive material were mixed in a weight ratio of 92:3:5.Here, as the binder PVdF, a binder solution in which PVdF was dissolved in NMP in advance was used.In the positive electrode composite paste NMP was added and adjusted so that the total weight of the positive electrode active material, conductive material, and binder was 50% by weight.Kneaded with a rotation/revolution mixer (ARE-310, manufactured by Shinky Co., Ltd.), A positive electrode composite paste was manufactured.

As the binder solution, an NMP solution in which PVdF as a binder is dissolved is used, and NMP is added so that the total weight of the positive electrode active material, conductive material, and binder in the positive electrode composite paste is 50% by weight. Adjusted by adding.

The positive electrode mixture paste was applied to aluminum foil 1085 for lithium ion secondary battery positive electrode current collector (manufactured by Nihon Seifu Co., Ltd.) with a thickness of 20 μm as a current collector, and the amount of positive electrode active material was 3.0 ± 0.1 mg/cm. ² and vacuum-dried at 150° C. for 8 hours to obtain a positive electrode. The electrode area of this positive electrode was 1.65 cm ² .

2. Manufacture of Battery A non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery (coin-type battery R2032) was manufactured by combining the above-described positive electrode, electrolyte, separator, and negative electrode. Note that the battery was assembled in a glove box with an argon atmosphere.

As the electrolytic solution, a solution was used in which LiPF ₆ was dissolved at a ratio of 1.0 mol/L in a 30:35:35 (volume ratio) mixed solution of ethylene carbonate, dimethyl carbonate, and ethyl methyl carbonate.

A laminated film separator in which a heat-resistant porous layer was laminated on a polyethylene porous film was used as a separator. In addition, metallic lithium was used as the negative electrode.

3. Charge/Discharge Test Using the manufactured coin-type battery, internal resistance was measured after initial charge/discharge at 25°C.
・Initial charge/discharge Maximum charging voltage: 4.3V, charging current: 0.2C, constant current constant voltage charging Minimum discharge voltage: 2.5V, discharge current: 0.2C, constant current discharge

(Initial discharge capacity recovery rate)
When the 0.2C discharge capacity in the first charge and discharge of the reactivated positive electrode active material is XmAh/g, and the 0.2C discharge capacity in the first charge and discharge of the unused active material is YmAh/g, the first discharge capacity recovery rate is as follows. It is determined by the formula (a).

Initial discharge capacity recovery rate (%) = X/Y x 100 (a)

・Internal resistance measurement Perform constant current and constant voltage charging at maximum charging voltage: 4.3 V and charging current: 0.2 C, and use an AC impedance measuring device (frequency response analyzer solartron 1260, potentio/galvanostat solartron 1287) at a frequency of 1 MHz. A Cole-Cole plot was created by scanning up to 0.1 Hz and showing the imaginary part on the vertical axis and the real part on the horizontal axis. Subsequently, in this Cole-Cole plot, the arc portion included in the range of 100 Hz to 1 Hz was fitted with a circle, and the diameter of the circle was taken as the resistance value, which was taken as the internal resistance of the positive electrode active material.

(internal resistance recovery rate)
When the internal resistance of the reactivated positive electrode active material is xΩ and the internal resistance of the unused active material is yΩ, the internal resistance recovery rate is determined by the following equation (b).

Internal resistance recovery rate (%) = y/x x 100 (b)

(Example 1)
A. Manufacture of positive electrode A

As the positive electrode active material, a positive electrode active material having a composition of Li _1.04 Ni _0.60 Co _0.20 Mn _0.20 O ₂ and a crystal structure of R-3m was used. The rated capacity of this positive electrode active material was 160 mAh/g, and the 1C current was 160 mA/g. The 0.2C initial discharge capacity measured in a charge/discharge test using a coin-type battery using this positive electrode active material (unused active material) as the positive electrode active material was 183 mAh/g.

Acetylene black HS100 (manufactured by Denki Kagaku Kogyo Co., Ltd.) was used as the conductive material.

As the binder and solvent, an NMP solvent was added to an NMP solution (manufactured by Kureha Co., Ltd.) containing 12% by weight of PVdF #1100 as a binder to obtain a predetermined ratio.

The mass ratio of the positive electrode active material, binder, and conductive material in the positive electrode composite material was 92:3:5. The blending amount of the solvent was 50% by mass based on the entire positive electrode composite paste.

The positive electrode mixture paste was applied onto a 20 μm thick lithium ion secondary battery positive electrode current collector aluminum foil 1085 (manufactured by Nihon Seifaku Co., Ltd.) using a doctor blade coater, and dried to obtain positive electrode A. Ta. The amount of positive electrode active material on the aluminum foil was 20 mg/cm ² .

B. Recovery of electrode mixture from positive electrode A From positive electrode A, the electrode mixture was mechanically peeled off from the current collector.

C. Electrolyte immersion process The peeled electrode composite material was pulverized into powder. An electrolytic solution was added to the powder of the electrode mixture so that the slurry concentration was 1500 g/L to form a slurry. Here, as the electrolyte, a solution was used in which LiPF ₆ was dissolved as an electrolyte in a 30:35:35 (volume ratio) mixed solution of ethylene carbonate, dimethyl carbonate, and ethyl methyl carbonate at a ratio of 1.0 mol/L. . The slurry of the electrode mixture was stirred for 1 minute at a maximum flow rate of 0.550 m/sec. Thereafter, the solid phase was separated by filtering the slurry, and the solid phase was further dried under reduced pressure for 24 hours to obtain an electrolyte-containing electrode composite material. The electrolyte immersion process was performed in a glove box with an argon atmosphere.

D. Cleaning process for electrode mixture containing electrolyte (corresponding to process (4))
To the obtained electrolyte-containing electrode mixture, water was added as an electrolyte cleaning solvent so that the slurry concentration was 5 g/L to form a slurry, and after stirring for 1437 minutes at a circumferential speed of the tip of a stirring blade of 0.942 m/s, The slurry was filtered for 3 minutes to separate it into a solid component and a liquid component. The contact time between the electrode mixture and the electrolyte cleaning solvent, that is, the contact time between the solid component and the liquid component was 1440 minutes, or 24 hours.
The amount of P in the liquid component after separation was 0.0059% by mass, the amount of F was 0.024% by mass, and the amount of P remaining in the solid component after separation was less than 0.0050% by mass. .
The obtained solid component was dried under reduced pressure at 100° C. for 1 hour, and the washed electrode mixture was collected.

E. Activation treatment agent mixing process (corresponding to process (1))
After cleaning, Li ₂ CO ₃ and K ₂ SO ₄ were mixed into the electrode mixture as activation treatment agents so that the amounts were 0.15 mol and 0.15 mol per 1 mol of the positive electrode active material in the electrode mixture. A mixture (mixture before heating) was obtained. The melting start temperature of the activation treatment agent was 550°C.

F. Heating process (corresponding to process (2))
The obtained mixture before heating was placed in an alumina firing container and placed in an electric furnace. The mixture was activated under atmospheric pressure at a holding temperature of 700° C. and a holding time of 3 hours. The heating rate was 300° C./hour, and cooling to room temperature was performed naturally. After cooling to room temperature, the heated mixture was collected.

G. Alkali metal removal process (corresponds to water washing and solid-liquid separation in step (3))
The heated mixture was pulverized, water was added, and the mixture was stirred for 1 minute to form a slurry at a concentration of 20 g/L. Thereafter, the slurry was filtered for 3 minutes to separate it into a solid component and a liquid component. The contact time between the solid component and the liquid component (water) was 4 minutes. Table 1 shows the slurry concentration, the contact time between the solid component and the liquid component (water), and the circumferential velocity (maximum flow velocity) at the tip of the stirring blade.

H. Drying process of positive electrode active material (corresponding to process (5))
The obtained solid component was dried under reduced pressure at 100°C for 1 hour. After separating the slurry into solid and liquid components, it took 20 minutes for the ratio of the saturated water vapor pressure of water at the temperature of the solid components to the ambient pressure at which the solid components existed to reach 80%. there were.

ICP elemental analysis was performed on the solid component and liquid component after drying. Table 1 shows the type of alkali metal element X, the amount of alkali metal element X in the solid component, the amount of Li in the liquid component, and the amount of alkali metal element X.

H. Re-firing process of positive electrode active material (corresponding to process (6))
The recovered positive electrode active material after washing with water was placed in an alumina firing container and placed in an electric furnace. The mixture was heated under atmospheric pressure with a holding temperature of 700°C and a holding time of 1 hour. The heating rate was 300° C./hour, and cooling to room temperature was performed naturally. After cooling to room temperature, the reactivated cathode active material was collected.

ICP elemental analysis was performed on the recovered reactivated positive electrode active material. The amounts of elements in the reactivated cathode active material are shown in Table 1.

A coin-type battery was manufactured using the recovered reactivated positive electrode active material, and a charge/discharge test was conducted. The discharge capacity and internal resistance were measured by a charge/discharge test, and the initial discharge capacity recovery rate and internal resistance recovery rate were determined.

(Examples 2 and 3)
Examples 2 and 3 were the same as Example 1 except that the slurry concentration in the alkali metal removal step of G was changed to 200 g/L and 333 g/L, respectively.

(Example 4)
In Example 4, in the alkali metal removal step of G, the heated mixture is pulverized, water is added and stirred for 20 minutes to form a slurry, and the slurry is filtered for 3 minutes using a filter. The solid on the vessel was rinsed twice with water for 3 minutes each time, and the contact time with water was changed to 29 minutes. The procedure was the same as in Example 1 except for the step of removing the alkali metal of G. Rinsing is to supply water again to the solid residue after filtration on the filter to filter it.
The rinsing ratio is also shown in Table 1. The rinsing ratio is the ratio of the weight of the added water-containing liquid to the weight of the solid component. In the case of rinsing, the concentration of alkali metal element X in all liquid components obtained in all separation steps in the alkali metal removal step was measured.

(Example 5)
In Example 5, water was added and stirred for 5 minutes to form a slurry, and the slurry was then filtered through a filter for 3 minutes.The solids on the filter were then rinsed twice with water each time. The procedure was the same as in Example 1 except that the contact time with water was changed to 14 minutes.

(Comparative example 1)
Comparative Example 1 was the same as Example 1 except that the alkali metal removal step of G was not performed.

(Comparative example 2)
In Comparative Example 2, in the alkali metal removal step of G, the heated mixture is pulverized, water is added for 0.5 minutes to form a slurry without stirring, and the slurry is then filtered for 3 minutes. The procedure was the same as in Example 2 except that the contact time with water was changed to 3.5 minutes.

(Comparative example 3)
Comparative Example 3 was the same as Example 1 except that the electrode mixture D was not cleaned.

(Comparative example 4)
Comparative Example 4 was the same as Example 1 except that the slurry concentration was 1250 g/L in the step of removing the alkali metal of G.

(Comparative example 5)
Comparative Example 5 was the same as Example 1 except that the slurry concentration was 10 g/L in the step of removing the alkali metal of G.

(Comparative example 6)
In Comparative Example 6, in the alkali metal removal step of G, the stirring time for slurrying was 1437 minutes, and the contact time between the solid component and the liquid component (total of filtration time and stirring time) was 1440 minutes, or 24 hours. The procedure was the same as in Comparative Example 5 except that the circumferential speed of the tip of the stirring blade was changed.

Tables 1 and 2 show the conditions, initial discharge capacity recovery rate, and internal resistance recovery rate in each Example and Comparative Example.

In Examples 1 to 5, in which the amount of X and Li of the element in the solid component and the amount of , the initial discharge capacity retention rate was high, and the increase in internal resistance was also suppressed.

Claims (11)

1. A method for producing a positive electrode active material including the following steps.
   (1) An electrode composite material containing a positive electrode active material, a binder material, and an electrolyte, from which at least a portion of the electrolyte has been removed by contact with an electrolyte cleaning solvent, contains a potassium compound and a sodium compound selected from the group consisting of a potassium compound and a sodium compound. Step (2) of mixing an activating agent containing at least one compound contained in the mixture by heating the resulting mixture to a holding temperature equal to or higher than the melting start temperature of the activating agent. Step (3) of activating the positive electrode active material: Bringing the heated mixture into contact with a liquid containing water to obtain a slurry containing a solid component and a liquid component, and then converting the slurry into a solid component and a liquid component. This is a separation step in which the total content of potassium and sodium in the liquid component after separation is 0.090 to 2.0% by mass, and the total content of potassium and sodium in the solid component after separation is 1.0% by mass. A process in which the amount is 2% by mass or less
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the positive electrode active material is a composite oxide containing one or more elements selected from element group 1 below and one or more elements selected from element group 2 below.
   Element group 1: Ni, Co, Mn, Fe, Al, P
   Element group 2: Li, Na, K, Ca, Sr, Ba, Mg
3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the positive electrode active material is represented by the following formula.
   Li _1+a M ² _b M ¹ M ^T _c O _2+d X _e
   However, ^M2 represents at least one element selected from the group consisting of Na, K, Ca, Sr, Ba, and Mg,
   ^M1 represents at least one element selected from the group consisting of Ni, Co, Mn, Fe, Al, and P;
   M ^T represents at least one element selected from the group consisting of Ni, Co, Mn, and transition metal elements other than Fe,
   X represents at least one element selected from the group consisting of nonmetallic elements excluding O and P,
   Satisfies -0.4<a<1.5, 0≦b<0.5, 0≦c<0.5, -0.5<d<1.5, 0≦e<0.5.
4. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein in step (3), the heated mixture is brought into contact with a liquid containing water so that the concentration of the solid component with respect to the volume of the slurry is 12 to 1000 g/L. Method.
5. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein in step (3), the contact time between the solid component and the liquid component is 4 minutes or more and less than 24 hours.
6. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein in step (3), the heated mixture and the water-containing liquid are stirred to obtain the slurry.
7. The method according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising the following steps.
   (4) A step of obtaining an electrode mixture from which at least a portion of the electrolyte in step (1) has been removed, the electrode mixture containing a positive electrode active material, a binder, and an electrolyte being washed with an electrolyte cleaning solvent. This is a step of contacting with a solid component to obtain a slurry containing a solid component and a liquid component, and then separating the slurry into a solid component and a liquid component, and the amount of P in the liquid component after separation is 0.0020 to 2. .0% by mass, the amount of F is 0.01 to 7.0% by mass, and the amount of P remaining in the solid component after separation is 0.7% by mass or less.
8. The method according to claim 7, wherein in step (4), the concentration of the solid component with respect to the volume of the slurry is 3 to 2000 g/L.
9. The method according to claim 7, wherein in step (4), the contact time between the solid component and the liquid component is 1 minute or more and less than 25 hours.
10. The method according to claim 7, wherein in step (4), the electrode mixture and the electrolyte cleaning solvent are stirred to obtain the slurry.
11. The method for producing a positive electrode active material according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising the following steps.
    (5) A step of removing water from the solid component obtained in step (3) by exposing it to a heating and/or reduced pressure environment, and separating the slurry into the solid component and the liquid component. Within 24 hours after changing the environmental pressure and/or the temperature of the solid component so that the ratio of the saturated water vapor pressure at the temperature of the solid component to the environmental pressure at which the solid component exists is 80% or more. The process of
    (6) A step of heat treating the solid component after the step (5) above at less than 900°C